“How have you all been? Rette doin’ alright?” Toh said.
“Yeah. We went to see her last night, and she was already conscious. She’s resting today, far as I know,” Yelah replied. The group had ducked into a side alley, glaring at a pair of shady guys who quickly scampered off.
Ben watched the group from above, gleefully keeping an eye on the mercenaries while also peering at the passerby on the street. The mercenaries were being watched, but Ben was looking at them, too. He had instructed Benita and Bennet to occasionally toss distractions at the spies, even though they were too far away to hear the conversation. Just in case.
Yoho looked nervous; the Queen didn’t have to use Ben’s superior eyesight to see that. He kept looking between Yelah and Toh like they would start brawling at any moment. Two allegiances: which to choose? His senior, a man he respected? Or his childhood friend, the girl he fancied?
Unfortunately for him, neither was a valid choice. Because, in truth, they were both marching under one master.
“Get outta here, lad. I need to speak with yer girlfriend privately.”
“Huh? I mean- well, I wouldn’t say…” Yoho sputtered. He moved to stand between the two mercenary captains, but Yelah clasped his shoulder.
“Go on, Yoho. Toh and I came to an understanding in the forest. It’s not a big deal.”
With both of his friends staring him down, Yoho had no choice but to leave the alley, peeking over his shoulder the whole way. The mercenaries relaxed, at least to some degree. Yelah still didn’t fully trust Toh, but there was little supporting the suspicion.
“Relax, pup. You know as well as I that we’re on the same side.” Toh said, sitting down on a stone ledge. His words were dripping with sarcasm. Or some form of understanding.
“I’ve spoken with Jill already, and nearly managed to alert her to danger. Course, the bees stopped me. But she knows something’s up, which is all I could do.”
“You managed that? How?”
“Bond between friends. Experience. Things you lack that make me a more valuable weapon for our new masters. Though the blade cuts both ways.”
Vlugh scoffed, relaxing completely. Yelah’s group was starting to release their tension, though the process was slow. After all…
“Don’t worry, pups. Not your fault. I know how it is to be under their control. There was nothing you lot could’ve done to save me from this fate.”
“But…” Yelah said. It was true. Toh wasn’t just an intimidating mercenary in the face of the relative amateurs. It was because of them that Toh and two mercenaries that leaned nearby had been brought under the Link.
“If anything, I should be thankin’ ya. If not for your deception, my whole team would’ve gone to the hive. Maybe we could’ve taken some bees down, but we all know that they’re hiding some real monsters. We all would’ve been killed or taken. Nothing to dwell on.”
“Instead, we need to be productive. The Linkers arrived alongside me, and are waiting outside the walls. As the insiders, we should work together. Even though we have this blasted Link, we aren’t allowed to communicate using it. We can only meet in ways that don’t involve us being seen or heard. So here we are.”
“You would make the Operation easier for the bees?” Yelah growled. She was still defiant, holding on to some shred of her former self.
“Why give them the luxury? We should just interact as little as possible, do exactly what we’re told and nothing more. I mean, everything we’re saying right now, they know. Everything we’re thinking, they know.”
“You misunderstand. I want to be a part of things. The more involved we are, the more we know. The more we have a chance to find a crack in the Link, or find a way to resist. Sure, we might be accelerating their plans, but you really think they don’t have everythin’ laid out? We’re constantly monitored, made to do things we don’t even realize.”
Yelah glowered, then slumped, defeated. How could she argue? Hadn’t she also given up already?
“What should we do then, Mr. Toh?” Grehn said. The massive man knew how Toh felt; it had been mere days since he happily took the Queen on a tour of the city, exposing important tactical areas and technologies. Only recently had his guilt over the matter begun to bubble up.
“Well, the plan is to bring in the Linkers to attach them to important figures. Far as I know, the first targets will be the Yiwi Fighters, since they are simultaneously the most important and the least dangerous.”
“Mm. I’ve made some progress with them. Just need a few Linkers to attach to a few kids, and we’re in.” Vlugh piped up.
“Wait, three kids?” Grehn asked, receiving a nod from Vlugh, “I know them; they were making a big speech in the city center the other day.”
“I see. Then, Vlugh and Grehn will be in charge of acquiring the Fighters. I don’t have much experience with the Fighters, but I could do some infiltration if necessary.”
“I also have a task.” Yelah said in a clipped tone. “Harven. He invited me for a drink, so I can get in close.”
“That old bastard? He might be tougher than the Fighters, but I’m sure you can figure that out, Yelah.”
Toh nodded in satisfaction. Yelah’s jaw clenched, and she slowly drew out her knife.
She lunged at Toh, shocking the group.
“Whoa!”
“Yelah, what’s gotten into you?!”
Grehn and Vlugh dashed to her, grabbing her arms as she wrestled with Toh. Her eyes were on fire, and Toh felt a burst of pressure. She was using her Ability!
Then, as suddenly as it started, the pressure disappeared. Yelah looked around in a daze, no longer struggling against her friends.
“Huh? What was that?” Yelah slowly began to come to her senses, shaking off the confusion.
“Dammit, Yelah, what was that? Were you commanded to attack me for my attempt at warning Jill? Why would the bees do this…?”
Yelah couldn’t respond. Her head was still cloudy, buzzing with sound. She hadn’t been thinking at all, just attacked Toh unprovoked. The Queen certainly hadn’t ordered her to do anything.
More buzzing appeared. The tiny form of Ben had quickly descended from the rooftops and was flying frantically around the group. But they weren’t currently privy to his thoughts, so his actions remained a mystery.
“We’re all in a rough place,” Toh said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. “But we need to stay strong. For now, the Queen is insisting that we begin attaching Linkers as quickly as possible. Let us walk to the wall.”
Grehn and Vlugh helped Yelah leave the alley, Toh and his two teammates trailing behind. The day was still young, so they could at least bring some Linkers into the city to hide them. As they walked, Yelah slowly regained her senses and strength. Eventually, she managed to walk on her own.
What had happened to her? It was like her emotions had suddenly overtaken her, emptying her mind and driving her forward. She shook her head. It didn’t matter, not now. All that mattered was the mission.
Conquering Yiwi.
A group of mercenaries was not a particularly interesting sight. Even people with bodies like Grehn and Toh weren’t that notable. Perhaps if Dip wasn’t chilling out at home, he would draw some stares, but as they were? The group drew not a single wandering eye.
Which made the eyes trained on them all the more obvious.
How to go about this? For one reason or another, members of the group were being watched. One person, Ben saw, wore nice clothing. Tight suit, big colorful bow tie. One of Harven’s men, perhaps?
Another wore mercenary leathers, but concealed themselves with a black cloak. No weapons in sight. And several other sneaky sneakers.
As for who might be spying on the group, it could be anyone. Mercenaries, paid by the City Lord. People sent by Jill Yemonto. Yiwi Fighters. Who knew? In the end, the ‘who’ didn’t matter very much. Neither did the ‘why’, for that matter.
What mattered was how the group was going to smuggle a gaggle of Mind-controlling bees over the fortified city walls without anybody noticing.
“Leave that to me.”
A new voice, one they didn’t recognize, echoed in the humans’ heads. They had already arrived at Yiwi’s eastern wall when the voice appeared, and they made a show of definitely not being startled by a voice suddenly appearing in their Minds.
“I won’t be able to hide them for long, or for a long distance. Put yourselves somewhere close; when I say so, let the Linkers hide in your cloaks or closed fists. Or under your clothes, if you’re into that sort of thing.”
“Might as well do what the voice says, everyone,” Toh muttered after a moment. He gestured at an open-air bar, one of the less populated ones. Surprisingly difficult to find an empty one, considering the time of day. But at these far edges of the inner city, this close to the forest, the shadier locales were already in full swing.
The group sat on metal stools at an establishment as close to the wall as possible, ordering a round of drinks. When the mugs arrived, they gave the voice a confirmation and waited.
“And for the record, I am Belphegora. Technically, I am the second in command of this Operation out of the present bees.”
“And…” Grehn said, “Who would be number one?”
“Ben. Though he has been ordered to suppress his Mind as much as possible during active hours, on account of his… excitability.”
“I see.” Toh’s plan to involve themselves more with the Operation was already proving its merit. Despite their importance, the humans had been given the minimum amount of information possible about the plans, the bees, or anything else really. Even Yelah’s group, which had traveled with Belphegora and Ben and the others, had no idea who she was.
They were fighting an impossible battle. The bees knew everything, while the humans knew nothing.
From the corner of his eye, Toh noticed something odd. Above the head of a guard posted atop the wall, a faint shimmer appeared for an instant. He tapped the table, catching the attention of the others. He realized that this ‘Belphegora’ had some Ability based on illusion. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but Toh was impressed. Unless you were specifically searching for them, it might’ve been impossible to spot them. Was she basing this power on Toh’s own invisibility Ability?
Eventually, the tiny cluster of insects zipped towards the mercenaries who, upon the signal from Belphegora, did their best to inconspicuously hide live bees under their clothes. The illusion disappeared as soon as the bees arrived, but hopefully Ben’s distractions and the tiny size of the bees would mean that the spies saw nothing.
“That’s done with then. Hide the bees in your rooms. How many Linkers remain, bee?”
“I would prefer if you referred to me with a bit more reverence, mercenary. No less than my Mother-given name. I will not suffer your insolence as easily as some of my siblings. It is my opinion that Mother is too lenient with you. But this knowledge is acceptable for you to know; I have given you lot fifteen of our forty-five Linkers, meaning that thirty are still prepared. Over the next few days, you will come in smaller groups to bring all the Linkers into the city.”
Toh’s face stayed neutral, but Yelah glowered. This bee was a piece of work, but her words held a weight, enough that even across the wall she felt a shiver. She emptied the entire mug in one go and slammed it down, quickly dropping a few coins on the table.
“We got the bees, that’s enough. I’m going home. I’ll get to Harven tomorrow.”
Yelah stalked off. Her anger had been building again, and she didn’t want a repeat of the alley. Grehn watched her leave with a look of worry, then turned to Vlugh.
“They won’t force Yelah to start Linking, but looks like we don’t have that luxury. You remember where the next Fighter meeting is?”
“Ugh, those monsters are running us ragged. I’m still recovering! And yeah, it's close by, actually.”
“I’ll join you,” Toh said, also opting to down his mug in one go. “Bayley, Wenrey, go stash the bees somewhere. I’ll take a couple just in case. Pups, you use your bees to Link these kids you keep going on about, and I’ll tail them back to their hidey-hole. They’ll take a bee or two to Link their bosses, and I’ll make sure nothing goes awry.”
Grehn and Vlugh nodded, moving to leave. They couldn’t even feel the numerous bees sitting still under various folds of clothing. And yet, those bees were the heaviest things any of the humans had ever carried.
“How have you all been? Rette doin’ alright?” Toh said.
“Yeah. We went to see her last night, and she was already conscious. She’s resting today, far as I know,” Yelah replied. The group had ducked into a side alley, glaring at a pair of shady guys who quickly scampered off.
Ben watched the group from above, gleefully keeping an eye on the mercenaries while also peering at the passerby on the street. The mercenaries were being watched, but Ben was looking at them, too. He had instructed Benita and Bennet to occasionally toss distractions at the spies, even though they were too far away to hear the conversation. Just in case.
Yoho looked nervous; the Queen didn’t have to use Ben’s superior eyesight to see that. He kept looking between Yelah and Toh like they would start brawling at any moment. Two allegiances: which to choose? His senior, a man he respected? Or his childhood friend, the girl he fancied?
Unfortunately for him, neither was a valid choice. Because, in truth, they were both marching under one master.
“Get outta here, lad. I need to speak with yer girlfriend privately.”
“Huh? I mean- well, I wouldn’t say…” Yoho sputtered. He moved to stand between the two mercenary captains, but Yelah clasped his shoulder.
“Go on, Yoho. Toh and I came to an understanding in the forest. It’s not a big deal.”
With both of his friends staring him down, Yoho had no choice but to leave the alley, peeking over his shoulder the whole way. The mercenaries relaxed, at least to some degree. Yelah still didn’t fully trust Toh, but there was little supporting the suspicion.
“Relax, pup. You know as well as I that we’re on the same side.” Toh said, sitting down on a stone ledge. His words were dripping with sarcasm. Or some form of understanding.
“I’ve spoken with Jill already, and nearly managed to alert her to danger. Course, the bees stopped me. But she knows something’s up, which is all I could do.”
“You managed that? How?”
“Bond between friends. Experience. Things you lack that make me a more valuable weapon for our new masters. Though the blade cuts both ways.”
Vlugh scoffed, relaxing completely. Yelah’s group was starting to release their tension, though the process was slow. After all…
“Don’t worry, pups. Not your fault. I know how it is to be under their control. There was nothing you lot could’ve done to save me from this fate.”
“But…” Yelah said. It was true. Toh wasn’t just an intimidating mercenary in the face of the relative amateurs. It was because of them that Toh and two mercenaries that leaned nearby had been brought under the Link.
“If anything, I should be thankin’ ya. If not for your deception, my whole team would’ve gone to the hive. Maybe we could’ve taken some bees down, but we all know that they’re hiding some real monsters. We all would’ve been killed or taken. Nothing to dwell on.”
“Instead, we need to be productive. The Linkers arrived alongside me, and are waiting outside the walls. As the insiders, we should work together. Even though we have this blasted Link, we aren’t allowed to communicate using it. We can only meet in ways that don’t involve us being seen or heard. So here we are.”
“You would make the Operation easier for the bees?” Yelah growled. She was still defiant, holding on to some shred of her former self.
“Why give them the luxury? We should just interact as little as possible, do exactly what we’re told and nothing more. I mean, everything we’re saying right now, they know. Everything we’re thinking, they know.”
“You misunderstand. I want to be a part of things. The more involved we are, the more we know. The more we have a chance to find a crack in the Link, or find a way to resist. Sure, we might be accelerating their plans, but you really think they don’t have everythin’ laid out? We’re constantly monitored, made to do things we don’t even realize.”
Yelah glowered, then slumped, defeated. How could she argue? Hadn’t she also given up already?
“What should we do then, Mr. Toh?” Grehn said. The massive man knew how Toh felt; it had been mere days since he happily took the Queen on a tour of the city, exposing important tactical areas and technologies. Only recently had his guilt over the matter begun to bubble up.
“Well, the plan is to bring in the Linkers to attach them to important figures. Far as I know, the first targets will be the Yiwi Fighters, since they are simultaneously the most important and the least dangerous.”
“Mm. I’ve made some progress with them. Just need a few Linkers to attach to a few kids, and we’re in.” Vlugh piped up.
“Wait, three kids?” Grehn asked, receiving a nod from Vlugh, “I know them; they were making a big speech in the city center the other day.”
“I see. Then, Vlugh and Grehn will be in charge of acquiring the Fighters. I don’t have much experience with the Fighters, but I could do some infiltration if necessary.”
“I also have a task.” Yelah said in a clipped tone. “Harven. He invited me for a drink, so I can get in close.”
“That old bastard? He might be tougher than the Fighters, but I’m sure you can figure that out, Yelah.”
Toh nodded in satisfaction. Yelah’s jaw clenched, and she slowly drew out her knife.
She lunged at Toh, shocking the group.
“Whoa!”
“Yelah, what’s gotten into you?!”
Grehn and Vlugh dashed to her, grabbing her arms as she wrestled with Toh. Her eyes were on fire, and Toh felt a burst of pressure. She was using her Ability!
Then, as suddenly as it started, the pressure disappeared. Yelah looked around in a daze, no longer struggling against her friends.
“Huh? What was that?” Yelah slowly began to come to her senses, shaking off the confusion.
“Dammit, Yelah, what was that? Were you commanded to attack me for my attempt at warning Jill? Why would the bees do this…?”
Yelah couldn’t respond. Her head was still cloudy, buzzing with sound. She hadn’t been thinking at all, just attacked Toh unprovoked. The Queen certainly hadn’t ordered her to do anything.
More buzzing appeared. The tiny form of Ben had quickly descended from the rooftops and was flying frantically around the group. But they weren’t currently privy to his thoughts, so his actions remained a mystery.
“We’re all in a rough place,” Toh said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. “But we need to stay strong. For now, the Queen is insisting that we begin attaching Linkers as quickly as possible. Let us walk to the wall.”
Grehn and Vlugh helped Yelah leave the alley, Toh and his two teammates trailing behind. The day was still young, so they could at least bring some Linkers into the city to hide them. As they walked, Yelah slowly regained her senses and strength. Eventually, she managed to walk on her own.
What had happened to her? It was like her emotions had suddenly overtaken her, emptying her mind and driving her forward. She shook her head. It didn’t matter, not now. All that mattered was the mission.
Conquering Yiwi.
A group of mercenaries was not a particularly interesting sight. Even people with bodies like Grehn and Toh weren’t that notable. Perhaps if Dip wasn’t chilling out at home, he would draw some stares, but as they were? The group drew not a single wandering eye.
Which made the eyes trained on them all the more obvious.
How to go about this? For one reason or another, members of the group were being watched. One person, Ben saw, wore nice clothing. Tight suit, big colorful bow tie. One of Harven’s men, perhaps?
Another wore mercenary leathers, but concealed themselves with a black cloak. No weapons in sight. And several other sneaky sneakers.
As for who might be spying on the group, it could be anyone. Mercenaries, paid by the City Lord. People sent by Jill Yemonto. Yiwi Fighters. Who knew? In the end, the ‘who’ didn’t matter very much. Neither did the ‘why’, for that matter.
What mattered was how the group was going to smuggle a gaggle of Mind-controlling bees over the fortified city walls without anybody noticing.
“Leave that to me.”
A new voice, one they didn’t recognize, echoed in the humans’ heads. They had already arrived at Yiwi’s eastern wall when the voice appeared, and they made a show of definitely not being startled by a voice suddenly appearing in their Minds.
“I won’t be able to hide them for long, or for a long distance. Put yourselves somewhere close; when I say so, let the Linkers hide in your cloaks or closed fists. Or under your clothes, if you’re into that sort of thing.”
“Might as well do what the voice says, everyone,” Toh muttered after a moment. He gestured at an open-air bar, one of the less populated ones. Surprisingly difficult to find an empty one, considering the time of day. But at these far edges of the inner city, this close to the forest, the shadier locales were already in full swing.
The group sat on metal stools at an establishment as close to the wall as possible, ordering a round of drinks. When the mugs arrived, they gave the voice a confirmation and waited.
“And for the record, I am Belphegora. Technically, I am the second in command of this Operation out of the present bees.”
“And…” Grehn said, “Who would be number one?”
“Ben. Though he has been ordered to suppress his Mind as much as possible during active hours, on account of his… excitability.”
“I see.” Toh’s plan to involve themselves more with the Operation was already proving its merit. Despite their importance, the humans had been given the minimum amount of information possible about the plans, the bees, or anything else really. Even Yelah’s group, which had traveled with Belphegora and Ben and the others, had no idea who she was.
They were fighting an impossible battle. The bees knew everything, while the humans knew nothing.
From the corner of his eye, Toh noticed something odd. Above the head of a guard posted atop the wall, a faint shimmer appeared for an instant. He tapped the table, catching the attention of the others. He realized that this ‘Belphegora’ had some Ability based on illusion. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but Toh was impressed. Unless you were specifically searching for them, it might’ve been impossible to spot them. Was she basing this power on Toh’s own invisibility Ability?
Eventually, the tiny cluster of insects zipped towards the mercenaries who, upon the signal from Belphegora, did their best to inconspicuously hide live bees under their clothes. The illusion disappeared as soon as the bees arrived, but hopefully Ben’s distractions and the tiny size of the bees would mean that the spies saw nothing.
“That’s done with then. Hide the bees in your rooms. How many Linkers remain, bee?”
“I would prefer if you referred to me with a bit more reverence, mercenary. No less than my Mother-given name. I will not suffer your insolence as easily as some of my siblings. It is my opinion that Mother is too lenient with you. But this knowledge is acceptable for you to know; I have given you lot fifteen of our forty-five Linkers, meaning that thirty are still prepared. Over the next few days, you will come in smaller groups to bring all the Linkers into the city.”
Toh’s face stayed neutral, but Yelah glowered. This bee was a piece of work, but her words held a weight, enough that even across the wall she felt a shiver. She emptied the entire mug in one go and slammed it down, quickly dropping a few coins on the table.
“We got the bees, that’s enough. I’m going home. I’ll get to Harven tomorrow.”
Yelah stalked off. Her anger had been building again, and she didn’t want a repeat of the alley. Grehn watched her leave with a look of worry, then turned to Vlugh.
“They won’t force Yelah to start Linking, but looks like we don’t have that luxury. You remember where the next Fighter meeting is?”
“Ugh, those monsters are running us ragged. I’m still recovering! And yeah, it's close by, actually.”
“I’ll join you,” Toh said, also opting to down his mug in one go. “Bayley, Wenrey, go stash the bees somewhere. I’ll take a couple just in case. Pups, you use your bees to Link these kids you keep going on about, and I’ll tail them back to their hidey-hole. They’ll take a bee or two to Link their bosses, and I’ll make sure nothing goes awry.”
Grehn and Vlugh nodded, moving to leave. They couldn’t even feel the numerous bees sitting still under various folds of clothing. And yet, those bees were the heaviest things any of the humans had ever carried.
